Regenerable desiccator



May 10, 1949. A. A. HlRscH l REGENERABLE DESICCATOR Filed Jan. 17, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented May 10, 1949 .UNITED STATS .wur orFlc-E My invention relates to improvements in lab-v oratory type desiccators; and the broad object of vmy improvement is to provide a Vessel which permits regeneration of the spent or depleted desiccant without the need for its removal from the ldesifccator. This objective is met by rst, incorporating an electrical heater unit in the desiccant reservoir, secondly, forming a recess andfsuitable.v holes in the 'desiccator well'. to allowv electrical Yand coolant connections, thirdly,`. placing insulating knobs on the bottom ofthe desiccator, 'fourthly, providing water coils kfor quick cooling in the desiccant oed and flfthly, forming' a slopingV groove on the shelf tocollect any condensate formed' during regeneration for easy removal.

These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:`

Figure 1 is a Vertical section of the assembled desiccator, and Figure 2 a section along line l-l at the level of the plug-in electrical terminals looking downward. Identical numerals in either View denote saine or similarparts.

On the' dessicator body 2 is a ground joint or well fitting -cover 3 having a stopcock ll attached to the stopper 5 seated in the top tubulator- 6.

A drying shelf l with holes S to hold laboratory vessels spans the lipped rim 9. Gn the peripheral side of rim 9 is a moisture groove It formed monoclinially to collect such condensate as forms and conduct it to a central pool at its lowest section for easy removal. A recess Il in the desiccator Wall allows plug-in prong I2 for electrical connections to protrude without extending beyond outer periphery of desiccator well I3. Lugs Ill raise the bottom l5 of the desiccator vessel 01T the supporting surface. Inside the desiccator well is the granular bed of desiccant material I6 in whose center inside ring H is a portion of the same desiccant material treated with hygrometrically sensitive cobalt chloride or similar solution to serve as an indicator for denoting when regeneration of the main body lli of the desiccator becomes necessary and when restoration is completed. Electrical heater coil or plate i8 furnishes heat to regenerate spent desiccant while in place inside the dessicator well. An asbestos pad i9 moderates the heat impinging on the bottom of the desiccator. An iron plate evens out heat distribution from the coil IB to the granular bed. A copper cooling coil 2 I, which may be connected to a small water line o1' such, hastens cooling inside the desiccant layer whenl desirable.

This desiccator is used in the conventional manner until the indicator granules show need for regeneration, at which sign a plug is pushed over the prongs to complete electrical connec tions with the heater coil. Temperature reached in the Abed may be delimitedby a thermostatic regulatorbulb or by xing the size of the heater andthe magnitude of the current. After expulsion or moisture from the desiccant the electrical connection is broken and the bed allowed to cool', veither by radiation or by passing watery or coolant through the cooling coil. Any moisture. condensing on the walls or dripping into the condensate grooveis wiped off while the bed and ves;

selare still warm. After. cooling, the desiccator isA claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent the following:y

1. A regenerable desiccator comprising a suite able vessel with: a well-fitting cover therecn,. a

shelf yfor supporting objects in the dry environment-'provided therein,a desiccant bed located beneath said shelf, an electrical heating element under said bed for regenerating it in situ, a heat distribution plate between said bed and said element thereby supporting said bed, a cooling coil within said bed, and heat insulating material between said heating element and the bottom of said vessel, the inner wall of the vessel being provided with a groove of sufficient cross-section to retain condensate drained from said wall during regeneration of said desiccant bed.

2. A regenerable desiccator comprising a suitable vessel with a well-fitting cover thereon, a shelf for laboratory objects mounted in said vessel, the wall of said Vessel having a channel of sufficient volume below said shelf for collection of condensate which forms Within the vessel during regeneration, a desiccant bed under said shelf, an electrical heating element under said bed for regenerating it, a cooling coil Within said bed, and heat distribution means between said bed and said heating element.

3. A regenerable desiccator comprising a suitable vessel with a well-fitting cover thereon, a ledge for support of a suitable shelf, a perforated shelf mounted on said ledge for supporting objects in a dry environment, a desiccant bed located beneath said shelf, a heat distribution plate under said desiccant bed supporting and being l .densate formed during heating element under said. heatA distribution plate for regenerating said bed, and means `pro- `circuitoferential recess of sufiicient` cross-section at the juncture of thewall and supporting ledge for the shelf extending in .a sloping lmanner.

around 'said wall for collection and pooling of condensate which gathers and drains down the walls of the vessel during regeneration'.

' overlapped by. said desiccant bed, an electrical it, a .means for heat ldistribution between said heating means andsaid desiccant bed, a cooling l means .Within said desiccantbed, an insulating 4. A- regenerable desiccator comprising a suitablevessel with a Wel1-fltting cover thereon,-a

shelf supported therein,y a 'desiccant bed resting under said shelf, a quantity of the same desiccant .material as that embodied iin same bedand treated with a hygrometrically sensitive .indicator solution to serve as a War-ning to show when said and a circumerential channel to collect condensate out of liquid phase Contact with desiccant 1 material.

5. A regenerable desiccator comprising a suit- -ablevessel with a well-ritting cover thereon, a

support therein for holding objects to. he retained in a dry state, a desiccanty bed underneath said support, a heating means contacting said-desiccant bed, and a peripheral 'channel around theA inside Walls of said vessel for collection of conregeneration so as to facilitate its removal.

6. A; regenerabie desiccator comprising a suitable Vessel with a well-fitting cover thereon, a

support therein ior holding objects. to be retained -in the .dry state, a `desiccant bed underneath said support, a heating means contacting said desiecant bed, a thygrornetrically. sensitive indi.-

cator Within said bed to show need for regeneration, and a peripheral channel-around the inside surface arranged to Collect condensate formed during regeneration.

7. A regenerable desiccator comprising a suitable vessel with a well-fitting cover thereon, a support for objects to be retained in a dry state, a desiccant bed underneath said support, a heating means underneath said bed for regenerating Number Name. Date Re. 17,370 f I Smith July 9, 1929 231,046 Hyatt Aug. 10, 1880 339,619 Cremer 1.. Apr. 13, 1886-l l 516,924 Du Pont Mar. 20, .1894

' 1,092,434 Daubine 1 Apr. 7, l1914 1,533,053 Wilson 1 Apr. 7, 1925, 1,694,570 Watts -1u----1 Dec. 11,1928

1,702,089 Bohne 1 Feb. 12, 1929 1 1,777,493 I Jadin et al Oct. 7,1930

- 1,924,699 Smith 1 Aug. 29, 1933 1,933,927 1 Patchell et al. Nov. 7, 1933` 2,066,847 McShea Jan. 5,1937 2,067,929 Heuser Jan. 19, '1937 2,083,732l lMonrlo et al June 15, 1937 .2,119,421 Cross May 31, 1938 2,203,144 Hammond ...1 .June 4, 1940 2,278,854 Hunsicker Apr.' 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number `Country. Date l 474,148 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1937 vessel above the layerl over the bottom of said vessel, lahygro metrically lsensitive material within `said bedl to lindicate need'for regeneration, land a circumferential drain trough into which condensate mayl collect from the inside Wall and cover ofsaid level of' said desiccant bed.. .ABRAHAM ADLER HIRSCH.

` AREFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record inthe 'filerof this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES A Method of Drying Complement from the Frozen State, by James Craigie, pp. 75-77 of the British Journal of Experimental Pathology, vol. l2, 1931. 

